Why is Hooliganism so Big in Europe?

There is close to no comparison when you look at hooliganism in Europe and hooliganism in the United States. Why you might ask? Because of two key factors:

Location
Often times in the United States teams do not have a strong following to other cities because most professional sports teams are more than a few hours away from each other. In Europe, often times teams are located within minutes of one other especially in small countries such as Greece, England, or Spain. The close approximation creates tension between the teams and the fans. It is easy for fans to follow their favorite team on the road. Large numbers of oppositing fans  can easily travel to cheer on their favorite team and get under the skin of those who are in attendance for a home game. Fans want to support and give their team the extra boost they need and they to be heard or seen. This creates tension between two groups of fans and often leads disorderly and violent behavior.

Politics
In America, teams are forms of entertainment. They do not represent political views or religious views like they do in Europe. Their teams are more than just a form of entertainment for them over in Europe. It is a way of life for the people in Europe. Teams represent live styles from hundreds and hundreds of years ago, especially in soccer. Soccer teams were put together hundreds of years ago when society wasn't so uptight. Others followed those teams more based on the clubs beliefs more than their performance. When you get two groups of people that have different life beliefs then tensions are going to be high.

These are the two reasons why we see events that Americans would classify as riots for regular season match. Two teams. Two different views on life. Tension in the building is extremely high no matter how important the game is when you look at the standings. If the game is important to the standings then you are attending the game while focusing on staying safe rather than enjoying the game.  You have to go cautiously or you will be in the middle of an altercation and things could easily get dangerous before, during, or after the game. Sporting events shouldn't be something you have to live cautiously at. In Europe you do. It is more than just a game. It is about life.